700 villages reeling under drinking water crisis

The State government on Monday informed the Legislative Assembly that 700 villages in seven districts are reeling under drinking water crisis and Rs. 267.49 crore had been released to task forces, headed by legislators, to mitigate the situation.

It said 35 taluks in nine districts have been declared drought-hit.

Replying to the debate over the crisis which took an ugly turn last week, Revenue Minister V. Srinivas Prasad said 700 villages in Kolar, Dharwad, Bengaluru Rural, Mysuru, Bengaluru Urban, Ramanagaram, and Chickballapur have been facing drinking water shortage. Water was being supplied through 1,140 tankers to the villages.

He said the deputy commissioners have been instructed to utilise funds from their accounts for tackling the situation.

Rural Development Minister H.K. Patil said Rs. 267.49 crore had been released to the task forces in 2014-15 of which Rs. 99.07 crore had been spent.

The task forces, headed by legislators, have been ineffective, he said. Leader of the Opposition Jagadish Shettar demanded release of Rs. 1 crore to each Assembly constituency to mitigate the drinking water needs of the villagers in the current year. The task forces should be made functional by empowering them to chalk out programmes, he said.

Rs. 267.49 cr. was released to task forces in 2014-15 of which Rs. 99.07 cr. was spent. The task forces, headed by legislators, have been ineffective: H.K. Patil, Rural Development and Panchayat Raj Minister

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